Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Chicken and Rice Soup

The ultimate comfort food, warming the soul (and stomach) since the beginning of time.  


Okay, so maybe it hasn't been around for that long, but whoever first thought of this lovely combination is my hero.  Mother is feeling a bit under the weather, so I went over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house this morning to make soup.  (Our oven is currently a work in progress, and I did not feel like making soup on our camp stove outside, thank you very much.)  I didn't actually have a recipe, but I glanced over Pioneer Woman's "Chicken and Noodle Soup" for seasoning ideas.

Comforting Chicken and Noodle Soup
1 Whole Cut-up Chicken
2 Medium Sized Onions
4 Celery Stalks
2 cups Carrots
1 cup Rice (I used a mix of Basmati and Wild)
1 tsp Turmeric*
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp Fresh Sage, chopped
2 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme (or 2 T fresh, I didn't have any)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Half-n-Half (optional)

In a large pot, saute onions and celery in olive oil until soft.  Remove vegetables and add enough water to boil chicken.  When water boils, turn heat down, add chicken and simmer until done, about 15-20 minutes.  Be sure to check chicken for doneness before removing from water.  When chicken is cooked, remove from water and add rice, covering pot.  While rice is cooking, remove chicken from fat and bones.  (You may need to strain your water before adding rice, sometimes little skin pieces come disconnected.  Ew.)  When rice is cooked, add carrots, chicken, turmeric, herbs, salt and pepper.  Continue simmering until carrots are soft.  Serve each bowl with a splash of half-n-half (if you're into that sort of thing) and a toasted slice of french bread.  Prepare to love and be loved.

*Turmeric is an Indian spice used in curry and mustard, among other things.  It has an interesting flavor, undesirable to most, (including myself,) but has a lovely rich color.  It is for this orangey hue I added it to my soup, and thankfully you can't taste it.  It has a wide variety of medicinal uses as well, especially for joint problems.  My grandmother takes it regularly, and says it keeps her knee from hurting.  A while back she attempted to convince me of its wonders, but after a few days of gagging and barely getting it down, I decided to take the pain of a swollen ankle over the nastiness of turmeric mixed in milk.  

2 comments:

  1. Mmm... this sounds absolutely delish! Autumn always makes me want to cook more soups, and this recipe looks like a good way to indulge that hankerin'. :) Thanks for the share!

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  2. Eady dear, this was the best chicken soup! Thank you for helping me to feel better : )

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